Over the weekend, the Cheetahs had to grind out a hard-fought 47-35 victory against Eastern Province at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.

It was another game riddled with errors, and they made it difficult for themselves to secure the crucial five points. The match had the potential to throw a spanner in the works for the Cheetahs, but they managed to finish stronger than their opponents with two late, decisive tries.

Neels Volschenk. Photo: Morgan Piek

This week, the Cheetahs will take on the Griffons in Bloemfontein. Flanker Sisonke Vumazonke, who scored the final try against EP, told OFM Sport they need to improve.

“Yes, it was a tough one in Gqeberha – we really had to dig deep to get the five points,” said Vumazonke.

“We’re happy with the result, but I don’t think we were entirely satisfied with our performance against Eastern Province.

“We put ourselves under a lot of pressure at crucial moments. In the end, securing the five points was what mattered, even though things didn’t go exactly to plan.

“So, it’s back to the drawing board before the big fixture against the Griffons this week, which is also going to be a tough one.

“We can definitely take confidence from last weekend’s win and build on it. Hopefully, we can finish strong in these four remaining home games and carry that momentum into the final match against Griquas in Kimberley.”

Cohen Jasper. Photo: Morgan Piek

The last time the Cheetahs faced the Griffons, they secured a convincing 45-21 victory in the Toyota Challenge in Bloemfontein in October 2024.

Saturday’s Free State derby between the Cheetahs and the Griffons at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein kicks off at 15:00.

Meanwhile, the Cheetahs will make a major announcement on Monday morning regarding the future of the franchise.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg